Poland’s Marcin Pochwala and Aleksandra Stach, winners of a solitary bronze medal during the 2018 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup season, became the C2 mixed world champions on Friday in Rio.

Pochwala is a four-time Olympian in men's C2, finishing fifth on two occasions. This year he has turned his attention to coaching Stach in C1 coach.

The pair have been paddling together for one year. Their best result this year was a third on their home course in Krakow.

“I feel very good, I think it’s a dream,” Pochwala said.

“This is my first time as a world champion. We have been together for about one year, but we don’t have professional training. We don’t paddle together every day.

“We thought we could maybe win a medal this week. That would have been a good result for us.”

“He is my coach in C1, so in C2 mixed we maybe train together one time a month,” Stach said.

Pochwala and Stach finished in 104.48, which included a two-second penalty. The French pair of Yves Prigent and Margaux Henry, second overall in the World Cup series this year, posted a clean run of 106.84 to take the silver.

Czechs Veronika Vojtova and Jan Masek finished third in 108.25. Fellow Czechs Tereza Fiserova and Jakub Jane, winner of the World Cup series, picked up two gate touches and finished fourth.

RESULTS

C2 MIXED

1. POCHWALA/STACH        (POL)       104.48 (2)
2. PRIGENT/HENRY             (FRA)       106.84 (0)
3. VOJTOVA/MASEK           (CZE)        108.25 (2)